In recent years, man has become increasingly aware that what was once thought to be a limitless supply of natural and man-made resources has now become alarmingly depleted. This depletion is due in great part to an unparalled increase in the world population. In the first three-quarters of this century, man's growth rate has reached the point whereby he is taking much more out of the world's resources than he has been replacing. If this rate continues, man will reach a point in the near future where he cannot clothe or feed himself properly. To counteract this depletion of resources and to ensure that the necessities of life will be available to everyone, increased encouragement and education has been directed to proper family planning. To accomplish this end, many different devices have been developed to prevent conception, so that the opportunity to make an intelligent decision as to whether two people want and can properly care for a child is available. These devices have been directed toward both the male and the female, but many of them contain serious drawbacks. Several female oral contraceptive devices have been found to cause harmful side effects, and some intra-uterine devices have been linked to cervical cancer.
Vasectomies have gained expanded acceptance in the last few years as a means for preventing pregnancy. However, this method exhibits the serious drawback of being non-reversible. One who has undergone a vasectomy cannot recant on his decision once the operation is completed. Several reversible male sterilization devices have been developed, but these devices have not been very reliable since their construction does not allow the vas to become permanently attached to the device so as to form an intrinsic part of the wall of the device.